128. The Armies Assemble

“It is war then,” said Yudhishthira, and he appointed generals to lead his seven armies, including his brother Bhima, along with Draupadi’s father Drupada and Drupada’s sons Dhristadyumna and Shikhandin.

Duryodhana had eleven armies to Yudhishthira’s seven, and Bhishma was his supreme commander. Karna, however, had vowed that he wouldn’t fight while Bhishma was in command, so he bided his time on the sidelines.

The armies marched to Kurukshetra, the battlefield where they would meet.

Dhritarashtra’s charioteer Sanjaya, by a divine gift, could see what was happening on the battlefield, and thus he narrated to Dhritarashtra everything as it occurred.

129. The Story of the Lakes at Kurukshetra

This was not the first time Kurukshetra tasted kshatriya blood. The brahmin-warrior Parashurama had dug five lakes there, the Samanta-Panchaka, filled with the blood of the kshatriyas he killed.

Shortly before the war began at Kurukshetra, there was a solar eclipse, and the great kings had all come to purify themselves by bathing in the Samanta-Panchaka. The Pandavas were in exile then, but the other kings who would later fight at Kurukshetra attended the ritual.

As Krishna watched the kings bathing, he had a vision of them all covered in blood. War was coming, and these kings would not survive.

130. The Story of Vishnu and Bhudevi

Long ago, the earth-goddess Bhudevi took the form of a cow. She generously gave her milk to the people of the earth.

The kings of the earth, however, milked her so greedily that her udders became sore, and she groaned in pain.

The god Vishnu heard her cries. “I will teach those greedy kings not to treat you this way,” he promised. “I will come as Parashurama and spill the blood of kings on the earth, and you will drink their blood like a lioness. I will do the same as Rama, and again as Krishna. That is my promise.”

131. Kali Demands a Sacrifice

“To win this war, ” Krishna said, “we must sacrifice to the goddess Kali.” Then he pointed to one of the soldiers. “We must sacrifice you!’

“But who is he?” asked Arjuna, surprised.

“I am Iravan, your son,” said the soldier to Arjuna. “My mother is Ulupi, the naga princess. I gladly offer myself, but I don’t want to die a bachelor. Let me marry first!”

No woman would marry this man fated to die, so Krishna became Mohini, a beautiful woman, and Mohini married Iravan. The next morning, they sacrificed Iravan to Kali, and Mohini wept for her dead husband.

132. Iravan Watches the Battle

To satisfy Kali, Iravan cut himself into thirty-two pieces, each marked with a sacred sign, and Yudhishthira offered this flesh to the goddess.

When Iravan was done, only his head and spine remained.

Krishna then spoke to the dead warrior. “Pray to Shesha-Naga, your grandfather, and he will restore your flesh.”

Iravan’s lips moved in prayer, and Shesha appeared, coiling around Iravan’s spine and restoring flesh to his corpse.

Iravan’s eyes were still open, and Krishna realized he wanted to watch the war, so they placed Iravan’s corpse high in a tree where he could look down upon the battlefield.

133. Arjuna Arrives at Kurukshetra

Krishna had said he would not fight, but he did agree to be Arjuna’s charioteer, and so he drove Arjuna out onto the battlefield.

When Arjuna saw the enemy lines filled with kinsmen and friends whom he loved, Drona and Bhishma and many others, he fell to his knees in despair.

“I cannot fight this war,” he moaned.

Krishna then lectured Arjuna about duty and about the yoga of action; this was the Bhagavad-Gita. “Seek not the fruits of action,” Krishna said, “but you must act, Arjuna! You are a kshatriya, and now you must fight. This is your dharma.”

134. Krishna Reveals Himself to Arjuna

Krishna then revealed himself as God to Arjuna: he had mouths, eyes, faces, bodies beyond counting. He was the whole universe, birth and death without beginning or end. He was everything, stretching from earth to sky, horizon to horizon. Everywhere.

Arjuna prayed. “I see all beings, all weapons, all war, all peace, all worship, all fear. I see!”

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds,” Krishna said. “The warriors you see are already dead, slain by their own karma. You are that karma. Arise and fight, Arjuna. It is time.”

Arjuna took up his bow, ready to fight.

135. Yuyutsu Chooses a Side

“Anyone fighting for the Kaurava side may come to us now!” shouted Yudhishthira before the battle began.

“And I say the same!” shouted Duryodhana. “Anyone on the Pandava side may join me now.”

Of the warriors present at Kurukshetra, only one changed sides at that time: Yuyutsu, Duryodhana’s brother. He was the son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari’s maid.

Among Duryodhana’s other brothers, the hundred sons of Gandhari, none deserted him, although Vikarna pressed him one last time to make peace. “The Pandavas are our cousins,” he said to Duryodhana. “We should not fight them.”

But Duryodhana was eager for war.

136. The War Begins

The armies of warriors on both sides were ready to begin the great war, but then Yudhishthira stepped forward and, setting aside his armor and weapons, he walked to the Kaurava side.

“Is he surrendering already?” Duryodhana wondered. “Coward!”

But Yudhishthira was not surrendering. Instead, he saluted Drona, his guru, then his great-uncle Bhishma, and all the Kaurava elders.

His purpose accomplished, Yudhishthira returned to the Pandava side, took up his weapons and armor again, and gave the signal. “Begin!”

So the war began, and it lasted eighteen days.

Millions died, and their blood washed over Kurukshetra like a flood.

137. The Pandavas and Kauravas Clash

On the first day, Bhima and Arjuna attacked the Kaurava armies relentlessly.

“Those two will destroy us,” Duryodhana shouted, “and we don’t even have Karna to help us.”

Bhishma glared at Duryodhana. “Do you want me to die?”

“No, no,” Duryodhana stammered, “I just meant someone must stop Arjuna and Bhima!”

Bhishma then shot an arrow that struck Krishna, drawing blood, but this only served to make Arjuna fight even more fiercely.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Dhrishtadyumna chased down Drona, his father’s mortal enemy, but Drona killed his charioteer and nearly killed Dhrishtadyumna too; Bhima barely rescued him in time.

138. Arjuna Attacks Bhishma

“I see you hesitating to kill Bhishma,” Krishna said to Arjuna, “but you must not hesitate. Kill him!”

Krishna then raced the chariot towards Bhishma, and Arjuna rained arrows down upon him, while Bhishma only smiled. “Well done!” he shouted, praising his great-nephew.

“I’ll kill him myself then,” said Krishna, leaping from the chariot and raising his discus.

“O God,” Bhishma prayed, “death at your hands is salvation.”

“No!” Arjuna pulled Krishna’s arm back. “You vowed not to fight; it is for me to do.”

But Arjuna did not kill Bhishma that day, and the battle raged on and on.

139. Duryodhana Attacks with Elephants

Duryodhana attacked with elephants, but Bhima killed them all. “You elephants and you evil-minded Kauravas, meet your destroyer!” he shouted. “My mace will show you all the way to Yama’s world!”

On that day alone, Bhima killed eight of Duryodhana’s brothers. “Dhritarashtra may have sired one hundred sons,” Bhima snarled, “but I vow that I will kill them all.”

Duryodhana then landed a blow that knocked Bhima to the ground, whereupon Bhima’s rakshasa son Ghatotkacha materialized out of nowhere, rescuing his father and joining the battle.

“We can’t defeat the rakshasa!” Duryodhana shouted, retreating.

Thus ended another day of battle.

140. Barbarika Joins the War

Barbarika, a mighty warrior, was the son of Bhima and a naga princess, but he had an unexpected loyalty. “I always join the losing side,” he proclaimed.

Krishna realized this shifting loyalty would prolong the war forever. “If you help the losers,” Krishna said, “help me by beheading someone who threatens the whole world!”

“Show him to me!” said Barbarika.

Krishna held up a mirror.

Barbarika was true to his word. “Still, I wish I could see the war,” he said as he beheaded himself.

Afterwards, Krishna breathed life into the head so Barbarika could watch the war after all.

141. Shikhandin Confronts Bhishma

On the tenth day the Pandavas realized they could use Shikhandin against Bhishma: Shikhandin had been born a woman, and Bhishma would not fight a woman. So Shikhandin rode forward and, under Arjuna’s protection, began shooting at Bhishma.

“I won’t fight you, Shikhandin,” Bhishma shouted.

“Fight or not,” Shikhandin replied, “I will slay you today. I was born for this!”

Shikhandin continued firing, and Arjuna shot Bhishma too. The old warrior’s body was pierced everywhere with arrows. When he fell, he didn’t touch the ground. Instead, he rested on a bed of arrows.

Both sides stopped fighting when Bhishma fell.

142. Bhishma Lies on the Bed of Arrows

Bhishma lay on the bed of arrows but did not die; he had the power to choose the moment of his death, and he chose to wait.

“I’m thirsty,” he said, and Arjuna shot an arrow into the ground. Water burst forth; thus Bhishma’s mother, Ganga, quenched his thirst.

Bhishma urged Duryodhana to seek peace with the Pandavas.

Karna was there too, and sought Bhishma’s forgiveness. Again, Bhishma urged peace. “Listen, Karna: you are Kunti’s son,” he said. “End this war with your brothers.”

But instead, Karna donned his armor, ready to fight now that Bhishma had left the battlefield.

143. Kunti Comes to Karna

The dawn before Karna joined the battle, Kunti came to see him.

“I know you are my mother,” Karna said. “Krishna told me. But my love is for the mother and father who raised me, the charioteer and his wife. And for Duryodhana, who accepted me as I am, while you rejected me.”

Kunti wept, and Karna pitied her in that moment. “I promise I will fight Arjuna only,” he said. “I will spare your other sons. That way, when this war is over, either Arjuna will be dead, or I will be, and you will still have five sons.”

144. Indra Visits Karna in Disguise

Karna had another visitor that morning: the god Indra, who was worried for his son, Arjuna. Relying on Karna’s generosity, Indra went to Karna disguised as an old man, begging Karna to give him a gift.

“What do you want?” Karna asked.

“Your earrings and armor,” said the old man.

Without hesitation, Karna cut off the earrings and armor that had been part of his body since birth, giving them to the old man.

Astounded by Karna’s complete generosity, Indra revealed himself. “Take this divine Shakti-spear,” he said. “It never misses its mark, but you can use it only once.”

145. Bhima Pursues the Sons of Gandhari

Bhima had vowed he would kill the hundred sons of Gandhari. Each day, he prowled the battlefield in search of the Kaurava brothers, killing them one by one.

Then the day came when Bhima found himself face to face with Vikarna, the only one of Gandhari’s sons who defied Duryodhana. Vikarna had even defended Draupadi in the gambling hall. But out of loyalty to his brothers, Vikarna was fighting on the Kaurava side.

Bhima killed Vikarna, and he wept when he did so.

Krishna, however, did not weep. “Dharma is what matters,” Krishna told him. “Not family. Not friends. Dharma.”

146. Duryodhana Plans to Capture Yudhishthira

Duryodhana wanted to capture Yudhishthira alive. “Make that your priority!” he told Drona, now commander-in-chief. Duryodhana hoped to compel Yudhishthira to accept an invitation to gamble again, sending the Pandavas into another exile as a way to end the war.

Drona, however, failed to capture Yudhishthira. “Under Arjuna’s watchful protection, there is no way to capture him,” Drona protested.

“The fault is yours!” Duryodhana shouted. “You favor the Pandavas, despite being my commander-in-chief.”

A band of Duryodhana’s soldiers then took the samshaptaka oath, vowing to kill Arjuna or die trying. “Victory or death!” they cried as they rode into battle.

147. Abhimanyu Enters the Maze

As Arjuna battled the suicide squadron, Drona arranged his army in a maze formation. Only Arjuna knew the counterattack.

Only Arjuna… and his son. “I learned this secret in the womb,” said Abhimanyu. “I can break the maze; I just don’t know how to get out.”

“Don’t worry!” Bhima assured him. “We’ll be with you.”

Abhimanyu broke through, but the Kaurava forces led by Jayadratha sealed the breach immediately, cutting Abhimanyu off from the Pandavas. He fought fiercely, even using his chariot wheel as a weapon, but the Kauravas overwhelmed him, and Abhimanyu died there, trapped inside the maze, alone.

148. Arjuna Vows to Avenge Abhimanyu

When Arjuna learned Jayadratha had led the soldiers who killed his son, he vowed revenge. “Either I kill Jayadratha before sunset tomorrow, or I kill myself.”

The Kauravas made every effort to protect Jayadratha so Arjuna would have to kill himself at sunset.

Krishna, however, intervened. As evening approached, he raised his divine discus and hid the sun from view. Thinking the sun had set, the Kauravas let down their guard, exposing Jayadratha. Krishna lowered his discus: the setting sun was still in the sky as Arjuna shot an arrow that decapitated Jayadratha.

Thus ended another day of the war.

149. Duryodhana Seeks Gandhari’s Blessing

The war continued day after day after day.

Each morning, Duryodhana would go to his mother and ask for her blessing. Gandhari’s pious devotion gave her enormous power, so what she said always came true.

“Mother, please say ‘May my sons win,'” Duryodhana would ask her.

Gandhari, however, would only say, “May the right side win.”

Dhritarashtra protested. “Whether he’s right or not, Duryodhana is our son.”

But Gandhari repeated, “May the right side win,” and all the while she grieved for her hundred sons as Bhima killed them, one by one by one.

Soon, there would be none left.

150. Bhima Fights Karna

The next day, Bhima killed twelve more of Duryodhana’s brothers. “I will kill them all,” he thought to himself, “Duryodhana and all his brothers!”

Then when Bhima saw Karna, he turned his chariot to pursue him, but Karna shattered Bhima’s bow, broke his mace, and killed Bhima’s charioteer. Bhima then had to hide behind the carcasses of war-elephants that littered the battlefield.

“Go back into the forest where you belong!” Karna yelled.

But as he had promised Kunti, Karna did not kill Bhima. Arjuna was the only one of the Pandavas that Karna was going to fight in mortal combat.

151. King Bhagadatta Attacks Arjuna

When Arjuna saw Bhima attacked by King Bhagadatta’s elephant army, he ordered Krishna to drive his chariot into the fray.

As soon as Bhagadatta saw them coming, he unleashed a terrible weapon: a Vishnu-astra. Before Arjuna could shoot an arrow in defense, Krishna leaped up and the Vishnu-astra struck him in the chest.

It turned into a garland of flowers.

Krishna then explained. “Bhagadatta received that astra from Bhudevi, the earth-goddess, and she received it from Vishnu when, in the form of the boar Varaha, I pulled her from the sea. I created that astra; only I could stop it.”

152. The Rakshasas Attack

Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha led his rakshasas in an assault on the Kauravas. Using their powers of illusion and supernatural weapons, the terrifying rakshasas routed the Kauravas.

“Save us, Karna!” Drona shouted. “Use the Shakti-spear to kill Ghatotkacha.”

“But I can use that spear only once,” Karna protested; he had planned to use it against Arjuna.

“Use it now!” Drona ordered.

So Karna launched his celestial spear at Ghatotkacha. Fatally wounded, Ghatotkacha rose in the air, expanded in size, and then hurtled down to the ground, crushing thousands of Kaurava soldiers as he fell.

Thus died Ghatotkacha, Bhima’s devoted rakshasa son.

153. The Pandavas Plan Drona’s Death

“We must stop Drona,” Krishna advised the Pandavas. “We’ll tell him that his son Ashwatthama is dead. He’ll lose the will to fight, and then we will kill him.”

“But who will do these terrible things?” Yudhishthira groaned. “Who will lie to Drona, and who will kill him?”

“You always tell the truth, Yudhishthira,” answered Arjuna, “so you must be the one to tell Drona about Ashwatthama, and Dhrishtadyumna will kill him.”

Arjuna wept as he contemplated Drona’s death.

Bhima, meanwhile, grabbed his mace and felled an elephant. “That elephant was named Ashwatthama,” he declared. “It’s true: Ashwatthama is dead.”

154. Drona Hears Word of Ashwatthama’s Death

Bhima shouted, “Listen to me, Drona: I have killed Ashwatthama!”

Drona could not believe what Bhima was saying. “Yudhishthira!” Drona shouted. “You have never told a lie. Tell me truly: is Ashwatthama really dead?”

“Ashwatthama is dead!” Yudhishthira shouted, loud enough for Drona to hear him. And then he whispered, “Ashwatthama the elephant.”

Drona, casting aside his weapons and armor, sank down in a trance of despair.

Drupada’s son Dhrishtadyumna then raced towards Drona and cut off his head with his sword, fulfilling the purpose for which he had been born.

Ashwatthama, however, was very much alive and vowed revenge.

155. Ashwatthama Launches the Narayana-Astra

When Ashwatthama learned his father was dead, he unleashed the Narayana-astra, which spewed deadly fire across the sky.

“It will kill us all!” shouted Yudhishthira.

“Don’t be afraid,” said Krishna. “Bow down to this weapon, and it will spare you. Do not fight; be at peace.”

Bhima, however, did not listen; instead, he ran towards Ashwatthama, brandishing his mace. The astra’s fire then focused on Bhima, but Krishna and Arjuna intervened, throwing Bhima to the ground and wrenching the mace from his hand.

“This astra won’t attack an unarmed man,” Krishna explained, and as he spoke, the astra’s fire subsided.

156. Ashwatthama Makes a Vow

When Duryodhana saw that Ashwatthama’s Narayana-astra had failed, he shouted, “Launch another! When they see the astra attack them a second time, they will take up their weapons and its fire will consume them.”

“I cannot,” said Ashwatthama sadly. “The Narayana-astra can be used only once. If I launch it again, the astra will turn back and attack us instead.”

“But you must avenge your father’s death!” said Duryodhana.

Ashwatthama nodded. “The Pandavas will pay,” he vowed, his voice shaking with anger. “Before this war is over, I will make them pay in blood for taking my father from me.”

157. Bhima Finds Dushasana

Bhima found Dushasana at last. “Do you remember my vow, cousin?” Bhima shouted, brandishing his sword.

Dushasana did remember Bhima’s vow and fled in terror, but Bhima grabbed him and pulled him to the ground.

“Is this the hand that held Draupadi by the hair? The hand that pulled off her sari?” Bhima shouted, as he tore Dushasana’s arm off and threw it across the battlefield, where it struck Duryodhana in the face.

Then Bhima bent down and drank Dushasana’s blood, fulfilling his vow.

Next, he summoned Draupadi, who washed her hair in Dushasana’s blood, just as she had vowed.

158. Karna Duels with Arjuna

The time had finally come: Karna and Arjuna were going to fight.

Karna had long waited for this moment, and so had the naga Ashwasena. When Khandava forest burned, Arjuna killed all the nagas fleeing the fire. Ashwasena alone survived, and he now turned himself into a serpent-arrow inside Karna’s quiver, ready to kill Arjuna.

But when Karna fired at Arjuna’s head, Krishna lowered Arjuna’s chariot. The serpent-arrow knocked off Arjuna’s crown; it did not hit him.

When Ashwasena begged Karna to try again, Karna refused. “I cannot use the same arrow twice. I must kill Arjuna some other way!”

159. The Duel Continues

As Karna battled with Arjuna, Shalya, Karna’s charioteer, said, “I see you’re feeling anxious, understandably. Arjuna is a great warrior.”

“You are my charioteer!” Karna shouted angrily. “Not Arjuna’s!”

But Shalya failed to offer Karna any encouragement.

The duel went on and on as Arjuna and Karna fired arrows at one another, wheeling their chariots around to face each other again and again.

Then Karna’s chariot got stuck in the mud. “Get out and free the wheel!” Karna told Shalya.

But Shalya refused. “That’s no task for a king like me.”

So Karna leaped down to free the wheel himself.

160. Karna Forgets the Mantra

As Karna worked to free his chariot wheel, he shouted, “Arjuna! Krishna! You are honor-bound to let me fix my chariot.”

“What kind of honor was it to humiliate Draupadi?” replied Krishna. “What honor was there in butchering Abhimanyu?”

Karna said nothing, still struggling to free the wheel.

Hearing Arjuna’s chariot draw nearer, he decided to launch the Brahmastra. But suddenly he could not remember the mantra.

It was all just as Parashurama had foretold.

“Kill him!” Krishna shouted.

Arjuna hesitated, seeing Karna standing defenseless in the mud, but he obeyed Krishna’s command.

Arjuna’s arrow struck Karna and killed him.

161. Krishna Tests Karna’s Generosity

As Karna lay dying in the mud, Krishna decided to test his famed generosity. Disguising himself as an old brahmin, Krishna knelt beside Karna and said, “Before you die, please give me a gift, I beg you.”

Karna didn’t know what he could give, but then he remembered: his two gold teeth. He pulled out the teeth and offered them to the brahmin.

“You are indeed the most generous man of this age,” the brahmin said, and then Krishna manifested his divine form.

“Thank you, Lord,” said Karna as he closed his eyes.

That was the last sight Karna saw.

162. Yudhishthira Confronts Shalya

After Karna’s death, Duryodhana appointed King Shalya as supreme commander.

“Only you can kill Shalya,” Krishna told Yudhishthira. “Inside him is a demon that feeds on aggression, which means the only way to defeat him is to confront him with love and respect. You alone are capable of this.”

So Yudhishthira confronted Shalya on the battlefield with love in his heart, not hatred or anger, thus rendering Shalya’s demon powerless. Doing his duty, Yudhishthira then killed Shalya with a single spear-thrust. “Forgive me,” he said, weeping, for Shalya was the brother of Madri, uncle to his brothers Nakula and Sahadeva.

163. Duryodhana Despairs

“Shalya is dead!” Ashwatthama told Duryodhana. “Yudhishthira killed him. Let me be your commander now. I can still destroy the Pandavas!”

“But there is no army left to command,” groaned Duryodhana.

Meanwhile, Sahadeva and Nakula were battling the last of the Gandharan soldiers. Sahadeva had killed Uluka, Shakuni’s son, and Shakuni then attacked Sahadeva, shattering Sahadeva’s chariot. Sahadeva leaped to the ground, grabbed an axe, and smashed it into Shakuni’s skull as he shouted, “Draupadi is avenged at last!”

When Duryodhana learned that his uncle Shakuni was dead, he ran away in despair.

He could see the war was lost.